Child Labour in India

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Child Labour in India

Abstract

The prevalence of child labor can be into two broad groups demand-side and supply-side factors. On the demand side, the segmented labor market and demand for low-wage labor or specialized labor is used to explain the presence of child workers. On the supply side, most importantly, poverty is a major contributor to child labour. This paper has used cross sectional data to show the pattern of incidences of child labour in India. Incidence of child labourers has reduced from 6.5 to 1.5 during 1993-94 to 2011-12. Male child labourers occupied highest proportion of child labour in India than female. This finding is true only at national level while variation can be found at the state level.